As welcome as autumn can be after a scorching hot summer, falling leaves can be frustrating for home and business owners. It can sometimes seem like as soon as you rake one pile up, another takes its place the next day.

As beautiful as the leaves can be as they fall, you’re likely looking for a solution to save time, hassle, and stress. Any of these autumn leaf tips below might be the answer you’ve been looking for.

Purchase a High-Quality Rake

Raking is the most traditional leaf removal method, and it’s one that’s trusted by homeowners throughout New Zealand. After all, you don’t have to worry about motor maintenance or expensive parts. You buy a rake, rake the leaves, and that’s it.

But the average entry-level, mass-produced rake won’t always result in a frustration-free raking experience. Rather than buying the cheapest rake available, look for a high-quality plastic or metal rake with wide dimensions and expanding tines. These are likely to rake your leaves more efficiently than a traditional rake.

Use a Leaf Blower

If you have leaves spread around your property on various terrains, gathering them up with a rake can be tedious and time-consuming. Save time and effort by using a leaf blower instead. Leaf blowers can effortlessly push your leaves off pathways, lawns, and other parts of your property into an easy-to-manage pile.

Just keep in mind that leaf blowers can be loud and aren’t always appreciated by neighbours. Be aware of decibel ratings when making your purchase, and be mindful of any council noise restrictions.  

Haul Out the Mulching Mower

Many homeowners rake leaves before mowing their lawns because they don’t have a mower capable of handling leaf litter. Save time and keep your lawns healthy simultaneously by investing in a mulching mower.

Mulching mowers are designed to break down leaves into small flakes that can be distributed evenly across your lawn. Eventually, the small leaf pieces decompose into a natural fertiliser your grass will love.

Use Them As Compost

Sometimes, homeowners aren’t frustrated by the leaf removal process, but they are by not knowing what to do with the leaves once they have them in one convenient pile. If you have gardens or a compost bin, they can form part of nutrient-rich organic matter for vegetable gardens, trees, and plants.

To speed up the breaking-down process, cut your leaves into smaller pieces with a mulcher or crunch them up by hand. Mix them with wood shavings, bark, tree branches, trimmings, lawn clippings, and other natural materials.

Take Them to Your Local Waste Station

If you don’t have a compost bin or gardens to feed, rake your leaves onto a tarpaulin and take them to your local waste station. This service is free or inexpensive throughout many parts of New Zealand. Alternatively, request a regular or casual collection service through your local council.

Make Leaf Mould

Leaf mould is a sweet-smelling soil conditioner with high magnesium and calcium content. Once added to vegetable gardens, flower gardens, and potting soils, it’s a desirable form of nutrients to make your plants the picture of health.

Creating leaf mould is easy, even if you don’t consider yourself much of a gardener. You simply need to rake your leaves into a pile somewhere they won’t get in the way, keep them wet, and let them break down. Within 1-3 years, the leaves will no longer be leaves. Instead, they’ll be a soggy, dark, disintegrated pile of soil-like material that you can add to any plants that need a health boost.

Use Them As Insulation

The colder months of the year can take a toll on vegetables, even if they’re of a cold-hardy variety. Rake up your leaves and use them as insulating layers for your vegetable gardens. You can also use crisp leaves as an insulating layer between harvested vegetables in storage.

Clean Up Daily

Many people become frustrated by leaf litter because clearing their properties can take up hours of their precious time. As trees drop their leaves at different times, consider making raking a part of your routine.

By staying on top of leaves as they fall, you might only have to spend a mere fraction of your free time clearing leaves instead of one large block of time each week. Save even more time by using a leaf blower rather than a rake.

Hire a Lawn Care Service Provider

Lawn care companies in NZ can provide convenient lawn mowing services, but that’s not typically the extent of their service offerings. They can also take care of garden waste, lawn clippings, and leaf litter that detracts from the beauty of your yard.

The next time you request the services of a local provider, ask about autumn leaf removal and garden tidy-up services. You might not need to lift a finger.